Jensen Huang spy scandal rattles Nvidia, he risks losing CEO role, full story in 10 points

Jensen Huang has found himself smack in the middle of a huge controversy that may or may not lead to his ouster from Nvidia, the company he founded and has been running as CEO for 33 years. His name has come up in two separate extramarital affairs, one of which he has himself admitted to.

The woman at the centre of his confession – Alice Huang – is believed to be a Chinese spy raising national security concerns in the US given the high-profile nature of the company that is Nvidia.News of a second affair, allegedly with Nvidia executive Kimberly Powell, has complicated things further. Nvidia stock is falling, and investors are in a state of panic.

The matter is under investigation and the board is scurrying to find a replacement. Whether Jensen will be ousted remains a mystery for now but what’s clear is that should he be asked to step down, things won’t be the same for Nvidia.There is a lot that is happening, and it is easy to get lost in the thick of things so, here’s a quick roundup of all the latest updates on the Jensen Huang scandal.1.

The spy scandal affairThe story begins with a New York Times report last month that alleged that Jensen Huang was in a close relationship with Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang. The US suspects that Alice, who is not related to Jensen, is a spy for the Chinese intelligence agency MSS.

2. Jensen Huang confesses cheatingAs reports went viral online, Jensen Huang decided to come clean about cheating on his wife, Lori Huang.

In an email to Nvidia employees, Jensen wrote, "I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and her children.

There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.” While the Nvidia CEO did not name Alice, it added fuel to the fire.3.

Jensen Huang’s dates with Alice HuangSoon, the internet was connecting the dots between Jensen and Alice with past photos surfacing online. The two were first photographed together at Taiwan's Computex conference in June 2024 and later, during a private dinner in Taipei in May 2025.

Alice shared multiple photos of herself with Jensen on WeChat. In one viral video, Jensen’s daughter, Madison, was seen taking photos of the pair.

As per Wall Street Journal, Alice’s husband Kang Wei was the one who introduced her to the Nvidia chief.4. Who is Alice Huang?

But an affair is one side of the story. Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, co-founded Megaspeed International in 2023.

This Singapore-based firm is said to have bought Nvidia hardware worth $7.5 billion for Chinese clients, including Alibaba, which is where Alice’s relationship with Jensen may have helped. As per Bloomberg, she has gone to China after her affair was brought to light.5.

Nvidia and FBI begin investigationsAfter all of this, the tech industry, and the global economy were in shock. Nvidia, which is the largest supplier of AI chips, announced that it was going to investigate the relationship.

Though the company says that it has no reason to believe that any sensitive information had been compromised. The FBI is also looking into Jensen's affair with Alice.6.

Jensen Huang’s second affair surfacesOn Wednesday, NYT reported that Jensen Huang was having a separate affair with Nvidia VP Kimberly Powell. It is said that the two were captured being affectionate at a San Jose hotel.

The person who recorded the video was later offered to sign an NDA. While this affair does not involve espionage, it only made matters worse for Jensen in the public eye.7.

Nvidia may sack Jensen Huang as CEOWSJ said that the company’s executives are reportedly looking for a replacement for Jensen, with the possibility of an interim CEO being appointed soon. While Jensen Huang has had a meeting with staff members after making the affair public, as per CNBC, he quickly shifted the agenda to business matters.8.

Replacing Jensen Huang is not so simpleA CEO is usually not immune at a company. But Nvidia’s case is different.

Jensen Huang is the founder CEO who built the company to the behemoth it is today. To add to that, Nvidia is said to have no clear successor in line as Jensen had nearly 60 direct reports.

He was also pivotal in shaping multi-billion dollar deals with companies like OpenAI and Oracle for Nvidia.9. Who can replace Jensen Huang?Nvidia’s board knows how hard it will be to replace Jensen.

Bloomberg reported that Nvidia was working with an outside firm to identify potential replacements. Currently, the company is considering CFO Colette Kress as a possible interim chief.

Co-founder Chris Malachowsky may help guide the company during its transition. Huang’s kids, Madison and Spencer, also have senior roles at the company.10.

Jensen Huang gains support from Trump, MuskWhile Jensen Huang faces scrutiny over his actions, he has found some support. US President Donald Trump called the Nvidia chief a “fine guy” after the news broke.

While tech trillionaire Elon Musk claimed that he would be “honoured” to hire Huang if Nvidia did replace him.- Ends